Please help Jim McDermott

[Truth2Tell]

Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) has been one of the few Democrats to firmly stand up for the people and the truth over the last seven years of American Hell. He is unquestionably one of the good guys. Sadly, the Repiglican legal machine has been hammering at him ever since he spilled the beans on Newt Gingrich and John Boehner for thwarting the will of the House Ethics Committee. He has paid a huge price in both money and time. He has done this for all of us. I just got the letter below in my email today. I plan to step up and help out a true American with a few bucks. I would humbly request other DUers consider doing the same at

www.mcdermottlegaltrust.com

From Jim McDermott:

Dear Friends:

Last Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the Boehner v. McDermott First Amendment case.

While the case produced important First Amendment law*, my personal rights to free speech were not upheld. Nonetheless, I felt that the fight to protect the Constitution needed to be taken all the way. We know that when people in power muzzle dissent, the consequences are disastrous: the Administration has suspended habeas corpus, pushed the Patriot Act . . . the list goes on..

It has been eleven years since Newt Gingrich and his cronies conspired during a phone call to violate an explicit directive from the House Ethics Committee. When the Justice Department rejected attempts to pursue this as a criminal case, John Boehner and the right-wing launched a civil lawsuit aimed at punishing me for standing up for the public’s right to know.

I let the public know about what Gingrich was up to then. I’ve taken a lot of heat for speaking out. With right-wing Republicans devoting so much effort to punishing me, I must be doing something right!

Thank you so much for your past support. I have raised a significant amount of money to pay for legal expenses. However, the amount that has been set aside will not cover all costs and fees. I now need your help to finally put this case to rest.

www.mcdermottlegaltrust.com

A final hearing to set the costs for this case is scheduled. John Boehner has paid out over a million dollars to his attorneys so far - the final settlement for this case will be a large one. I need your help.

My hope is that large numbers of people will respond to this urgent request for assistance so that all legal costs can be met immediately!

Your support is urgently needed and will be appreciated.

Jim McDermott

More on the McDermott case here:

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=34045
http://www.mcdermottforcongress.com/getthefacts.aspx
http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/uncategorized/conference-call-boehner-mcdermott-suit-back-before-justices/
http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/1207/Boehner_finally_wins_legal_fight_with_McDermott_over_illegally_taped_call.html

Note: I have no ties to Jim McDermott whatsoever, other than I am a Democrat in the same state.

[AX10]

1. What dirt do we have on Boehner.

We should work to take him down.

[Truth2Tell]

13. This case itelf is pretty dirty

From: The Stranger

...

The Republican legal crusade against McDermott has its roots in a 1996 ethics charge that bedeviled former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich. At the time, McDermott was the ranking Democrat on the House ethics committee and Gingrich, the mastermind of the 1994 "Republican Revolution," which gave Republicans control of Congress for the first time in 40 years, was facing complaints over his use of a college course for political purposes. To settle the complaint, Gingrich agreed to pay a $300,000 fine and promised not to publicly minimize, or "spin," the charge against him.

"That was the genesis of this phone call," McDermott says, referring to a conference call that Gingrich held in secret with Republican leaders shortly after the settlement. "Essentially, he was encouraging them to figure out how to spin it," McDermott says—a direct violation of his agreement with the ethics committee.

-snip

Gingrich's secret conference call involved several members of the Republican House leadership, and as it happened, one of those leaders, Boehner, the congressman from Ohio, was driving through Florida at the very moment his colleagues needed him to be on the phone. So Boehner pulled into the parking lot of a Waffle House and joined the conference call on his cell. The date was December 21, 1996.

Not far away, a Florida couple, John and Alice Martin, were messing around with their police radio scanner and happened to pick up the call as the Republicans were talking about how to spin Gingrich's ethics charge. Being Democrats who followed politics, they realized whom they were hearing and decided to make a tape for posterity. Then, realizing what they had heard, they decided to tell their congresswoman, Karen L. Thurman. She, in turn, encouraged them to give the tape to McDermott because of his position on the ethics committee.

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=34045

Much more at the link - great article.

[Pastiche423]

2. I have no ties to Jim either

Don't even live in his state, but I have been sending $$ whenever I can.

[EFerrari]

3. K&R

[Suich]

4. K & R n/t

[EFerrari]

5. Jim's staff was so great to me and to Andy. I'll never forget that.

kick

[Mojorabbit]

6. I will donate

first thing tomorrow morning.

[Truth2Tell]

7. Shameless kick! n/t

[ConsAreLiars]

8. He is the best.

He served as a psychiatric medic during Vietnam and knows what war is, better than any. His integrity led him to reveal the tapes that brought down scum Gingrich, and the Cons have been after him ever since. As just a recent example of his defense of the Constitution and basic human rights, he was one of a very few who refused to pander and vote for a nonsense resolution "recognizing the importance of Christianity and Christmas." http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2452175&mesg_id=2452175

An unsung hero. I've donated to his defense fund a couple times, and urge you all to do so as well. If you want to give a small bit of support to a congressman who knows and tells and fights for what is right, for peace and justice, and who has paid a price for doing so, please donate.

Here's his congressional homepage if you want more information on his work in congress: http://www.house.gov/mcdermott/

[weeve]

9. Plus ...

... he's one of only NINE House members who today voted against that ridiculous PRAISE CHRISTIANS and CHRISTIANS bill passed overwhelmingly in Congress. Hell, that show of backbone is worth a few bucks alone, wouldn't you say?

Proud to be his constituent.

[Truth2Tell]

12. Don't forget his support

for HR 333, Cheney impeachment!

[Norrin Radd]

10. kick

I feel lucky that he is our local Rep.

[OzarkDem]

11. Thanks for the info

Surprising how this case has dragged on. Hope it ends soon for Jim's sake.

[Truth2Tell]

14. Another shameless kick for Jim. n/t